ADHD: Why women bear the brunt of misdiagnosis

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Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. That pile of books and other ‘stuff’ on the table now resembles a person. You’d put on a pot of water for boiling, but it has long evaporated and the pot has turned to a neat shade of rust.

You walk into a room and have instantly forgotten what it was for. This isn’t you being lazy or scatter-brained. It could very well be ADHD.

In an interview with Allure magazine in September, actor Alia Bhatt had opened up about dealing with ADD (attention deficiency syndrome), another term for ADHD or Attention Deficiency/Hyperactivity Syndrome. Bhatt, however, isn’t alone. Over the last few years, a number of famous women including Olympian Simone Biles, actor Emma Watson and filmmaker Greta Gerwig have confessed to having struggled with the condition.

According to a May 2024 study by the US CDC (Centre for Disease Control and Prevention), ADHD among boys is more likely to be detected/ diagnosed at 15% in comparison to girls at 8%. So, why is it difficult to detect ADHD among women when compared to men? In women, ADHD manifests as inattention, while among men it manifests as hyperactivity, says Mumbai-based senior child and family psychiatrist Dr Sapna Bangar. “Boys tend to be disruptive and in your face, which is often annoying to parents and teachers.

With girls, on the other hand, teachers or caregivers don’t seem to mind as long as the inattentiveness or sitting quietly doesn’t bother anyone," explains Bangar. Mumbai-based developmental behavioural paediatrician and neurologist Dr Samir Dalwai echoes this. “Often, girls with ADHD are found studying hard.